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Keeneland Sunday: Oaks Winner Shedaresthedevil Tops Field for Spinster

By Margaret Ransom

Midnight Bisou has been retired. Swiss Skydiver is running in the Preakness (G1) on Saturday (Oct. 3). Nonetheless, Sunday’s $400,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) at Keeneland is still a race of note with Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil the 7-5 favorite in a field of six fillies and mares.

Taking on older rivals for the first time, the 3-year-old upset winner over Swiss Skydiver in the Oaks is trained by Brad Cox and will be ridden by Florent Geroux in the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event with the winner earning a fees-paid berth in the BC Distaff (G1) on Nov. 7.

Shedaresthedevil – Courtesy of Churchill Downs/Coady Photography.

Owned by Qatar Racing, Flurry Racing Stables and Big Aut Farms, Shedaresthedevil is looking for a fourth straight victory entering the 65th edition of the 1 1/8-mile Spinster.

The race is a key prep for the BC Distaff; a year ago Blue Prize used the race as a springboard to winning the year-end championship race for the filly and mare dirt division and joined other winners of both races such as Inside Information, Bayakoa (twice), Sacahuista and Princess Rooney. Other recognizable names to have captured the Spinster include Horse of the Year Azeri, Take Charge Lady (twice), Banshee Breeze, Paseana, Glorious Song, Susan’s Girl (twice), Gallant Bloom, Lamb Chop and Doubledogdare.

Hall of Famers Ron McAnally and Shug McGaughey each lead the trainer standings with four winners; Laffit Pincay Jr. and Pat Day each rode five winners.

Grade 1 winner Ollie’s Candy ships in from the West Coast for trainer John Sadler to challenge the favorite and is 2-1 on the morning line off a second-place effort in the Clement L. Hirsch (G1) at Del Mar in her last start.

RELATED: Keeneland Odds: Saturday Features 3 Grade 1’S, 4 BC “Win And You’re In” Races

The field, by post position, with jockey, trainer, odds:

$400,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) Odds

PP
Horse
Odds
Jockey
Trainer
1
Saracosa
15-1
Martin Garcia
Cipriano Contreras
2
Ollie’s Candy
2-1
Joel Rosario
John Sadler
3
Shedaresthedevil
7-5
Florent Geroux
Brad Cox
4
Our Super Freak
12-1
Brian Hernandez, Jr.
Cherie DeVaux
5
Valiance
4-1
Luis Saez
Todd Pletcher
6
Lady Kate
4-1
Tyler Gaffalione
Eddie Kenneally

$200,000 Bourbon Stakes (G2), 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles, turf

More Than Ready Juvenile winner Barrister Tom is coming off two grass wins when he faces 10 other juveniles in 30th edition of the Bourbon, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event for the BC Juvenile Turf (G1) on Nov. 6.

The Bourbon – an appropriate stakes name for one of the Bluegrass’ most popular industries – was initially contested as the Hopemont Stakes and was first run in 1991. It was renamed to the Bourbon County Stakes in 2003 to honor the Lexington-area county where many of the top thoroughbred Farms are located. The name was then shortened to the Bourbon Stakes when Woodford Reserve took up sponsorship in 2005 and the name has remained, though it has held different sponsors.

Champion Gio Ponti and two-time Breeders’ Cup runner-up (Classic, 2009; Mile, 2010) is probably the most famous winner of this race. Trainers Mark Casse and Todd Pletcher have each sent out four winners; jockey Julien Leparoux has been aboard four winners The Bourbon, by post position, with jockey, trainer, odds:

$200,000 Bourbon Stakes (G2) Odds

PP
Horse
Odds
Jockey
Trainer
1
Indy Tourist
8-1
Tyler Gaffalione
Mike Maker
2
Hidden Enemy
8-1
Joel Rosario
Steve Asmussen
3
Really Slow
50-1
Jack Gilligan
Paul McEntee
4
Into the Sunrise
7-2
Rafael Bejarano
Wesley Ward
5
Private Island
12-1
Brian Hernandez
Ian Wilkes
6
Abarta
12-1
Umberto Rispoli
Brad Cox
7
Blame the Booze
8-1
Gerardo Corrales
Wesley Ward
8
Arrest Me Red
20-1
James Graham
Arnaud Delacour
9
Mutasaabeq
3-1
Luis Saez
Todd Pletcher
10
Barrister Tom
6-1
Florent Geroux
Michael Ewing
11
Spyglass
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
Steve Asmussen

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